Submit an Academic Petition or Appeal

Appeal Number: 5853
Decision Date: July 24, 2019
Associate Dean: Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Student Name: Mikayla Erdelsky
Student Email: mikayla.erdelsky@queensu.ca

Course: CHEM 281
Term: Fall
Year: 2017
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: John Carran

Course: CHEM 282
Term: Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: MICR 221
Term: Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Ken Jarrell

Course: PHGY 214
Term: Winter
Year: 2018
Category: Drop a course after the academic deadline

Course: CHEM 282
Term: Summer
Year: 2018
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: John Carran

Course: ANAT 312
Term: Fall
Year: 2018
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Leslie MacKenzie

Course: MICR 360
Term: Fall
Year: 2018
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Sam Basta

Course: PHAR 340
Term: Fall
Year: 2018
Category: Request credit (CR) standing in a course or courses
Instructor: Thomas Massey



Dear Mikayla Erdelsky:

I was sorry to read of the challenges you experienced during the 2017/2018 time period and I have carefully considered your appeal to drop CHEM 282 (W 2018) and PHGY 214 (FW 2017/18) past the academic deadline as well as received Credit standing in CHEM 281 (F 2017), MICR 221 (W 2018), CHEM 282 (S 2018), ANAT 312, MICR 360, PHAR 340 (F 2018). After reviewing your file I have decided the following:

1. I will grant your request to drop CHEM 282 and PHGY 214 as well as receive Credit standing in CHEM 281, MICR 221 and CHEM 282. The documentation provided supports circumstances experienced during the Fall 2017, Winter 2018 and Summer 2018 time period specifically.

2. I will deny your request to receive Credit standing in ANAT 312, MICR 360, PHAR 340. As noted above, the documentation you have submitted supports the Fall,Winter and Summer term 2017/2018 timeframes specifically and I cannot therefore justify altering your transcript after the fact to change your grades from the Fall term 2018.

Academic Regulation 10.3.2. states that, Credit standing in a course is reserved for situations in which a student, who has completed all of the work in the course including the final examination, and achieved a passing grade in the course, but because of illness or other extenuating circumstances beyond their control, earned a substantially lower grade than might have been expected, normally a grade of C or lower.€ Credit standing is only granted in cases where there are well documented and unforeseen extenuating circumstances outside of a student€™s control. The integrity of Arts and Science transcripts in general would be greatly diminished if the Faculty were to effect changes to students€™ records without clear and compelling documentation indicating that the student€™s performance was significantly compromised by extenuating circumstances beyond his or her control.

Going forward, I strongly suggest that you pause and evaluate your progress in your courses during week 7 of the term and if you have fallen behind in your course work, you should drop courses by the week 8 drop date deadline. I also strongly encourage you to continue to reach out to your supports who can offer you the ongoing help that you may need.

If you wish to appeal the Associate Dean€™s decision to the Board of Studies, information and deadlines can be found at www.queensu.ca/artsci/students-at-queens/academic-appeals (click on €œBoard of Studies€). Do not use the on-line application for this process. You may contact the Office of the Ombudsman (www.queensu.ca/ombudsman) for advice on matters of procedure and on obtaining a representative.

Sincerely,

Jenn Stephenson, Ph.D.
Associate Dean (Studies)